


Soul Snatchers' Extra: The History of the Wind

by Nikkie2571



Series: The Soul Snatchers' Saga + AUs & side stories [2]
Category: Original Work, The Soul Snatchers' Saga
Genre: Dragons, Fantasy, Fire, Gen, Magic, Magic School, Minor Character Death, magical deals turning out in your favour
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-17 03:34:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18957052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nikkie2571/pseuds/Nikkie2571
Summary: Etesians is not Zephyr's only family. She had a mother and a father. She had already lost one, this is how she loses the other and gains a new one.[Also on Fictionpress]





	1. The fire in twisterwall

**Author's Note:**

> I had this prologue sitting struckthrough in my google docs, so I thought I should spice it up and give it a share. Took me like 30 mins to rewrite it all from the First Person POV it was in previously.
> 
> It's also much shorter this way, but I feel it's much better than it used to be.

The world was fire and chaos, burning and bright and hot and crumbled. A fallen support beam lay overtop of Etesians, an obstacle easily removed. Standing up, his sluggish mind tried to take in his dangerous environment, trying to figure out what was wrong beyond just the burning, burning,  _ burning _ .

Gale wasn’t with him. She had been before, when the room had not been on fire, but now she wasn’t. Panic and fear coursed through Etesians and he rushes out of the room, the leather of his wings warping and whooshing as he moves through the hot dense air.

While he’s fire-resistant, he’s not fireproof, so he expends a little bit of magic to entice the flames away from him, his red body now glowing just slightly with a white aura. Eyes scanning the school grounds, he keeps running, hoping that everyone, not just Gale, made it out alive. He couldn’t help but run through all of the most important names in his mind.

 

Willadel, oh young brash Willadel. He didn’t deserve this fate. Not when he was only eight. When he was still a student. He was so talented.

Fiona, a teacher who taught healing, and was the only Andatamel on campus. His talks with her were always evoking and interesting.

The headmaster, Theleon, was likely okay, but even he was fallible. He would be mourned.

Bluster, another dragon who taught here, despite his lack of magical ability. His excellent mind more than made up for it.

And lastly, Gale, his best friend. The one who had walked him here from his former home. Who had taken him in her arms and told him just how not like other dragons he was.

She and her late husband were too kind.

 

Etesians’ lips thinned, feeling upset that his list wasn’t longer, that he didn’t truly care for more people, but that didn’t matter at this moment.

He raced down the main stairs, finally reaching the main hall. There was rubble everywhere, holes in every wall and ceiling.

A sound distracted him. A feminine moan of pain.

He turned, revealing a woman trapped under some off the heavy rubble. She wasn’t blonde, wasn’t Gale, but she needed help.

He rushed over as fast as he could and lifted the rubble with both hands, flipping it over and making the floor quake slightly from the weight of the falling stone. He then grabbed the woman and ran out of the entrance, where he was sure everyone else was gathered.

“I have an injured!” He called as soon as he saw people, who pointed him towards a red tent. Still running, he entered the large tent and handed the woman off to the medical mages there, their golden yellow robes almost hurting to look at after all of the fire.

One of the Medics started crying. “Glorium… You’re gonna be okay,” She whispered. Etesians had to turn away, He didn’t know these people, didn’t know their connection, and it would be rude to intrude on it. Besides, he had something to go take care of.

Once outside, Etesians rocketed up into the air, using just a touch of magic to speed himself up. Above the city, he could see that only the school was alight, that only it was damaged.

Only one dragon then. Running into them wouldn’t be ideal, but Etesians could manage that if he had to.

Etesians scanned the city once more, looking for something smaller, something less noticeable. An orb of light telling him where to go.

A burning trail flew across his vision and stopped in front of him. The dragon, of course they would show  _ right now _ . Hidden amongst the flames was a red figure, nearly blending in. The crimson upwards curving horns on their head declaring them as a male.

The other looked just like him, the only difference visible from a distance would be Etesians’ jet black horns. This revelation brought both a feeling of beautiful poetry and immense dread.

“Do you teach at this school?” The other questioned with a shout.

“I am,” Etesians replied.

“Then you are just as bad as these leeching gathering  _ ugly _ humans.”

The dragon opened his maw with a screech and flew forward, burning bright like the sun at midday as his aura of fire rippled and burned and trailed behind him.

Etesians had no choice, he pushed all his available magic into a stream of fire that erupted from his hands in a blast of blue hotness straight into the waiting mouth of his enemy.

The dragon choked, coughed, spluttered, and fell. Dead long before he hit the ground.

Etesians grimaced, feeling ugly inside despite the necessity. He had never liked killing, he preferred just driving others away from his territory instead.

Green caught his eye, and Etesians turned to see a ball of light, hanging off in the town right over where Gale’s house was. She was safe, but Etesians had to  _ know _ , had to be sure. He couldn’t lose another important person.

Etesians flew as fast as he could, but without any magic he could only go so fast, could only go so slow. Even if he had any left he was sure he would never be fast enough.

He landed on the roof, standing in front of a woman in a brilliant deep indigo robe. It was torn and scorched slightly. The dress under it was a nearly white pale blue, stained red with blood. Her blonde hair flowed behind her with the gentle breeze, betraying just how tense the situation truly was with how mesmerizing it made her look.

She held her young daughter in her arms, little baby Zephyr, tiny and human.

"You’re not alright, are you?” He asked.

She shook her head as she extinguished the orb of light with a wave of her hand.  The marks that ran over her forehead from one draconic horn to the other stopped glowing.

“Far from it, I didn’t bring all of myself with me when I teleported. I never was the best at it. I’ll bleed out quite soon, I think.”

Etesians sighed sadly but smiled. “Where am I to take Zephyr then?”

She chuckled. “You know me so well, old friend. Yes, take her, take her far far away from here. Hide her, please. She only has you now. You may even raise her in the mountains if you wish.”

Etesians tilted his head, still smiling. “It seems like a good enough reason to go home.”

Gale kissed Zephyr on the forehead,  where one day she too would grow horns , and handed the child over. “Goodbye my child, may you shine brilliantly, like a gemstone, to those around you.”

“Have peace as you pass from this place, dear Gale,” Etesians whispered to her.

Gale smiled, beautiful and wonderful and sweet, and collapsed. Her body had finally given out. Zephyr took the time to cry into the darkness of the evening, upset tears from someone too young to understand.

Etesians would do his best to make sure she never had to cry again.


	2. The deal on which all regrets and bounties lay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is an un-beta'd mess, please forgive any mistakes :)

The Guardian was waiting and Etesians was scared. He was scared he would fail Gale and that’s why he was here, even though he should have left already.

“Who approaches?” asked the Guardian, his voice echoing through Etesians’ mind.

“I am Etesians Meltemi, a former teacher at the Twisterwall Magic School. I come asking for a favour.”

Batlis lowered his gaze slightly, his pointed beak looking menacing. There was a reason he is the Guardian of Battle.

“What kind of favour?”

Etesians hesitated. “I wish to be gifted with Battle Sense, to know when fighting is or is not required.”

“And what have you done to deserve this great gift?” The Guardian asked, sounding almost amused, but mostly just derisive.

“The rogue dragon that destroyed the school, I killed it.”

Batlis’ face flexed. “You are the one who beat Moazagoatl.” It sounded almost surprised.

Etesians nodded, feeling like he would start trembling.

The Guardian was silent for a long moment, his aura flowing and undulating more than Etesians thought was normal. It felt invasive, burrowing.

“That deed is indeed a great one, and you have done a wonderful duty, but… I could give you more, a boon of skill, if you were willing to give up something else.”

Etesians froze. What else could he possibly give if not Zephyr?

“What do you want?” He croaked out.

“Your child’s humanity.”

Etesians shook his head slowly, his eyes wide in fear. “What does that mean, it doesn’t sound good at all!”

“Deals with Guardians are never good,” Batlis said, seeming to smile menacingly.

“Answer the question!” Etesians yelled.

“Your child will no longer be human. She will be broken and restored into something that should not exist but she will function the same. She will still be Zephyr. Just… Different.”

“You would change her! Make her something that is not herself?!”

The Guardian’s eyes narrowed, his aura flaring angrily. “That is not what I said, listen to me when I speak Etesians Meltemi.”

He took a step back, taking a moment to think past the fog of panic in his mind. “…So… she will still be herself? She will just… look different? Like some mutant?”

The Guardian nodded. “She will be the perfect protector. Zephyr, daughter of many winds, and a harbinger of both kindness and anger. You have my word on that.”

Etesians looked down at the fussing girl in his arms, her pale skin and silky golden hair. He couldn’t see her as anything yet, but a woman who bore a title like that would be excellent, beyond any expectations.

His heart throbbed as he sealed her fate. He hoped one day she would forgive him.

“I love her as a daughter, no matter what she looks like. Her humanity has never been important to me. Clearly, it is important to you though, Guardian Batlis, or else you would not want it. I accept your deal.”

Batlis’ eyes seemed to twinkle. “Bring me Opal!” He called to his attendants. “I think it is time to grant her the death she wishes for.”

The words were spoken in such a way that Etesians could only feel dread and regret pool in his stomach.

Moments later an old dragon woman appeared, her opalescent white scales reflecting like gemstones.

“So, I’m to die today, am I?” She asked Batlis.

The Guardian nodded. “Indeed. You have served me well, and you will serve me again this one final time.”

Opal smiled as Batlis lifted into the air, his aura glowing a light golden colour before he descended down on Opal’s head, grabbing it in his brilliant red talons. Where he touched her sprung forth a fountain of soft golden light, like sparks of brass glittering in firelight. Slowly, Opal’s body began to shrink, glowing bright as it did so. Eventually, all that was left was a ball of golden glow, like a translucent bubble, with seven smaller balls of light moving slowly inside it. They were held together by deep golden strings, delicate and thin like lace, and shimmering like starlight.

Etesians was entranced, he had never seen an object so beautiful. He could only assume it was her Soul, the very essence of her being.

“Bring me the girl!” Batlis demanded, his voice loud, but not painful, as it rushed through Etesians’ skull.

Etesians walked over slowly, never taking his eyes off of the golden orb in Batlis’ claws. He then raised Zephyr up, as if in offering to the living god.

Batlis’ eyes tightened as if smiling as his aura flared again. The orb in his talons then began spewing light as it tore itself apart, starlight strings tangling and breaking and small orbs exploding into showers of dust. Once only two small orbs remained inside the larger orb, Batlis plunged it into Zephyr’s skull, another fountain of brass sparks forming and dying as it was absorbed into her body.

Etesians stood stunned, wondering why he had been allowed to see such a beautiful sight.

“That was… amazing, Guardian Batlis.”

The eyes on the Guardian crinkled. “It was much showier than most Guardians would have been in my place, but it was important, as she will be the first, the one to call the others to her side. A strong opener is a good opener and she will surely be both.”

Etesians had no idea what the Guardian was saying.

“I, um, Thank you,” he said uncertainly.

Relaxed eyes stared into his soul. “No, thank you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my best to handle any inconsistencies with stuff I've already written, while also making this chapter as visually appealing as possible

**Author's Note:**

> I may add more backstory for Zephyr's little tribe of dragons, but this is all that's really needed for now, and all I want to share at the moment.


End file.
